Mayank Agarwal's fight to reclaim his place in Indian Test eleven starts on Tuesday when he walks out to open in a three-day game against County Select XI, starting in Durham on Tuesday as best friend KL Rahul gears up to keep wickets in Rishabh Pant's absence.
The match has been accorded first-class status, a first for India in many years since Mahendra Singh Dhoni took over as the captain. Dhoni believed that an official first class match robbed all the players in the squad from getting some game time.
However, the team management wants a proper first-class game to get into the groove before the start of the Test series next month.
According to BCCI sources, Pant, who had tested positive for COVID-19, has completed his stipulated 10-day isolation in an acquaintance's place in London and is 'recovering well' but he is yet to join the team's bio-bubble in Durham.
"Even if Pant would have reached in time for the practice game, he would have been given adequate rest to get back in peak physical condition. He has been asymptomatic but would need to train well ahead of the first Test in Nottingham," a senior BCCI official said.
"In any case both Pant and Wriddhiman (Saha), who is isolated as a precautionary measure, will be available for first Test."
As it had been reported earlier, Rahul, who has been doing keeping drills, will don the gloves for the game.
However, it will be Mayank, whose form will be closely monitored by the team management as he is likely to partner Rohit Sharma in the first Test after Shubman Gill was ruled out of the series with shin splints.
Mayank hadn't been in best of forms in Australia as he lost his place to Rohit, who missed the first two Tests Down Under due to quarantine rules post his hamstring injury break.
While Rahul has also scored bulk of his 2000 runs opening the innings, it is understood that he is being considered as a middle-order batsman and may be used later in the series in case one of the senior batters including Ajinkya Rahane don't get back to form.
Against a team comprising mostly of youngsters, with only James Bracey being a current England international, India might just try both Rahul and Mayank if they get a second innings. The match being a three-day affair, the probability of that isn't high.
In the bowling department, Mohammed Siraj will like to give a good account of himself and Jasprit Bumrah wouldn't mind getting a few wickets under his belt just like Ravichandran Ashwin did last week for Surrey.
